3-hour line to Vote in Maryland today. Daughter's first time voting.

[rightsideout]

Just got back from voting in Maryland. 3 hours. 1 hour outside in the chilly weather and two hours inside where the line snaked around inside the community center like an amusement park line. When we left the line was still halfway around the community center. They will be voting close to midnight I'm sure. They told me they take everyone who gets in line.

Last time I checked the vote was 65 percent Democrat and 25 percent Republican so Maryland will go Blue which isn't too much of a surprise.

It was my daughter's first time voting. She was displaced from Rutgers University in NJ when the power went from the storm so she came home and was able to get in on the early voting before she goes back to college Sunday.

So two more votes for Obama tonight!

[polichick]

1. Woo-hoo times two!

[elleng]

2. Good to hear.

Where were you? Friend waited about 20 minutes Wednesday in Silver Spring, I waited virtually no time in Hagerstown, repug precinct, yesterday, and met a nice Dem couple.

[rightsideout]

6. We were in College Park

It was at the Community Center near the College Park Campus. I was glad to see alot of people there. Everyone was pleasant and patient.

One of the voting judges said Bowie had even more people there.

[SunSeeker]

3. It is outrageous that you should have to wait at all to vote.

In CA, there are never any lines in the area I live. Most people vote by mail anyway. The very fact that they make you wait three hours amounts to a poll tax (your time DOES have value!) and a physical barrier to the infirm and ill (standing in line for three hours is a challenge for anyone, let alone the elderly, etc.).

I can't believe these barriers to voting--even in blue states like Maryland--exist in our country.

[justiceischeap]

4. There aren't that many early voting centers

from what I can see. For Montgomery County I think there are only 6-8 and Mont. Co is pretty darn big.

[rightsideout]

8. Actually, there were reasons for the crowds

1)Two early voting days were cancelled in Maryland because of the hurricane

2)When the early voting started on Saturday and Sunday, alot of people voted but alot of others got ready for the storm.

3)The storm started Sunday so that kept people in from voting.

3)Since Monday and Tuesday were cancelled because of the storm that left Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to pick up the slack

4)Friday was the last day for early voting in Maryland and we expected it to be crowded today

Good things about the voting

There wasn't a lack of voting machines. There were 20.

It was very well organized. The police were there directing traffic. Everyone was nice and pleasant. Absolutely no problems.

Our county is mostly African American folks. And they were out in force to vote. We were one of the few white folks there. I don't know any other way to say that.

I don't consider it to be any barriers. Three weeks ago all the county residents got a brochure in the mail about early voting. So everyone was well informed. We had 5 polling places in our county set up for early voting each with 20 machines.

To be honest. Our county is mostly African American. It's the richest African American County in the Country and our citizens are well educated, many work for the Federal, State and Local governments and are very active politically. Between those attributes and the delays from the storm I believe that is why we had an overwhelming turnout.

So no barriers here. Just alot of enthusiastic voters.

[justiceischeap]

5. Do you know how Prop 6 is doing? nt

[Nye Bevan]

7. Mail-in absentee ballots ROCK (nt)